Recognizing Plant Physiology authors: Yafei Zhao
Yafei Zhao, first author of TCP and MADS-box transcription factor networks regulate heteromorphic flower type identity in Gerbera hybrida
Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki (2019 onward)
Education: PhD (2019) and MSc (2013) at the University of Helsinki (Helsinki, Finland) under the supervision of Prof. Paula Elomaa; BSc (2011) at the Agricultural University of Hebei (Baoding, China)
Non-scientific Interests: travelling, downhill skiing, cooking
Brief bio: On April 1, 2011, I received the acceptance letter to the Master Programme in Plant Production Science at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Finland. This was how my journey to Finland started. At that time, I was doing my exchange study in the Netherlands under an international exchange programme of Horticulture. This is when I developed a great interest in plant science, especially flowers, and decided to take this area as the focus of my future study and research. My scientific career with flowers started in the Gerbera Laboratory in the University of Helsinki since May 2012 when Prof. Teemu Teeri first supervised me for a practical training and then a summer training. Later, I continued with my master thesis under the supervision of Prof. Paula Elomaa in the same laboratory. These works laid the foundation for me to go a step further in this area as a doctoral student. My doctoral research focused on the molecular control of flower and inflorescence development in order to address how the complex capitulum inflorescence is organized and how initiation of flower primordia and their differential fate and growth is coordinated in Asteraceae. Furthermore, I aimed to understand the evolution of TCP gene functions in diverse plant lineages, regarding the regulatory control of floral type differentiation by CYC2-clade genes in the floral head of Asteraceae and the ancestral functional roles of CYC/TB1-like genes in basal eudicots Ranunculales. After my dissertation, I continued my research with Prof. Paula Elomaa as a post-doc, working on the regulatory network of floral type differentiation in Asteraceae. Taken the opportunity here, I would like to thank my supervisors, co-authors and colleagues that they have planted hope in my heart and enlighten my passion in flowering.
姓名：赵娅斐
现任职务：芬兰赫尔辛基大学，非洲菊实验室，博士后
教育背景：博士（2019）和硕士（2013）研究生均就读于芬兰赫尔辛基大学，农林学院，导师Paula Elomaa教授；本科（2011）就读于河北农业大学，生命科学学院。
兴趣爱好：旅行，滑雪，烹饪
个人简介：
2011年4月1号，我收到了芬兰赫尔辛基大学农林学院国际硕士项目植物生产科学专业的录取通知书。我的芬兰之旅也由此开始。当时，我在荷兰应用科技大学的园艺专业进行大四的交换学习。这一年的交换经历使我在专业上的兴趣点从生物科学大类具象到植物科学，尤其是植物开花方面，也由此奠定了我日后以此为学习和科研主要方向的基础。我在花卉领域的科研生涯开始于2012年5月，当时有幸被赫尔辛基大学Gerbera Laboratory 的Teemu Teeri 教授接收为实验室的实习生。之后我继续在同实验室的Paula Elomaa教授的指导下完成了硕士论文。这些研究经历为我之后的博士研究课题打下了基础。我的博士课题着重研究花和花序的生长和发育的分子调控机制；其中包括1）以非洲菊（Gerbera hybrida）为模式植物，研究菊科(Asteracea)植物花序发育的分子调控机制，包括早期头状花序的形成的和进化(GhLFY&GhUFO)，以及上游转录因子对调控花类型分化的CYC2类基因的调节；2）以双子叶植物中原始分支毛茛目(Ranunculales)为材料，探究CYC/TB1类基因功能的原始性和多样性。以上研究成果深入探究了植物生长发育的关键基因在分子进化与表型进化之间的关系，以此构建相关植物类群花形态的进化发育式样。博士毕业后，我在非洲菊实验室继续了博士后研究，关注菊科头状花序中花形态分化的调控网络。在此，感谢我的导师，项目的合作者以及同事们，是他们在我心里种下了希望，点燃了我的热情。愿繁花盛开。
